Caltrans awards $9.5M contract for Highway 50 repaving at El Dorado County line

The main artery between South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento/Bay area will be getting a much needed repaving job with funds from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the gas tax increase that went into effect January 1, 2018.

Caltrans will repave 200 lane miles on U.S. Highway 50 from the El Dorado/Sacramento County line to west of Sunrise Boulevard in Sacramento County from the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

Funds generated because of the bill's passing come from:

A 12-cent-a-gallon increase on gas excise tax
A 20-cent-a-gallon increase in diesel excise tax
An increase in the Vehicle License Fee, ranging from $25 to $175 depending on the value of the vehicle
A new annual $100 fee on electric vehicles starting in 2020
An additional 4 percent increase in sales and use tax on diesel

Approximately $1.8 billion annually for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the state highway system come from the bill's funds. Another $1.8 billion is slated to go to city and county projects across the state.

“Over the years there has been tremendous growth in El Dorado County resulting in more wear and tear of the highway,” said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. “This project allows crews to make immediate repairs providing a safer and smoother commute for all motorists, including truckers hauling freight, who use the highway every day.”

More than 114,000 vehicles per day use the highway to reach their destination, and nearly 8,300 trucks per day use this segment of US-50. About 42 percent of those trucks on the highway have five or more axles, creating more wear and tear of the highway.

“Without this SB 1 funded project, the pavement would continue to deteriorate, which would have a direct impact on travelers and result in costly maintenance repairs in the future,” said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal. “Having a smooth roadway is not only important for commuters but for tourists who travel this highway on their way to places like Apple Hill and South Lake Tahoe.”

The $9.5 million pavement project has been awarded to local business contractor, Granite Construction of Sacramento, who will fill potholes and repave and restore the highway to improve traffic safety. Work is scheduled to begin the week of May 14 and take place during the night.

Beginning this month, Caltrans will also begin construction on 13 SB 1 funded projects in the Sacramento region, including six pavement projects, a project to relieve congestion, two bridge projects and four striping projects to increase visibility of lane lines.

Caltrans is also partnering with local agencies to expedite projects that will relieve congestion, improve the movement of freight and improve transit services. Caltrans is already working with the Sacramento Regional Transit to accelerate a rail modernization project that will expand light rail services for residents in the Folsom area.

Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, use alternate routes, and Be Work Zone Alert.

Work schedule is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. More information and updates on projects can be found at http://www.dot.ca.gov/d3/projects/ or on Twitter via @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3.

For complete details on SB 1 projects, visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.